


A Completely Acceptable Activity for a Prince and His Servant

by Whoareyou0000



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, POV Arthur, Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Slash, Sexual Tension, literal bottom arthur, literal top merlin, pure fun and silliness, sort of smut if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23110654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whoareyou0000/pseuds/Whoareyou0000
Summary: It's Leon's birthday and Arthur finds himself playing bottom to Merlin, rather pleasantly, while planning a practical joke at the knight's expense.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 272





	A Completely Acceptable Activity for a Prince and His Servant

“To the right a bit…” 

Arthur takes two wide steps to the side, tightly grasping the pair of long lean legs that hang restlessly around his shoulders. Merlin shifts his feather-weight figure, the metal bucket creaking against itself, and reaches up towards the rafter only to then fall abruptly back onto the prince’s sturdy frame with a muted sigh. 

“One more back to the left.”

Arthur reluctantly obeys and rolls his eyes, taking the pair from one end of the messy quarters to the other. Clothing lays haphazardly about and goblets of half-drunken wine adorn the wooden tables. A plate full of crumbs sits upon an unmade bed and a dirty undergarment hangs casually upon Leon’s changing screen, over which Merlin works with clumsy fingers.

“Do the servants not clean the knight’s quarters anymore? It’s as if pigs have overrun the entire hall.” 

“Cleaning up after one knight is challenge enough.” Merlin snorts, his body swaying worryingly as he once again reaches past the level of safety to touch the pillar above. Arthur holds tighter to the thin thighs and clenches his core to steady the decidedly meager weight. “I pity the servant who has to deal with four of you disgusting animals.”

Arthur glares upwards. Merlin falters. A brown leather boot swings abruptly out, seeking balance, and strikes the prince in the gut. Arthur bites his lip at the searing pain and swallows his angry gasp.

“Watch yourself, Merlin! Or I’ll have you explain to my father how my ribs were broken by a lowly servant.” 

Merlin straightens and balances the bucket atop his own head with shaky hands. The string falls and hangs loosely down in front of Arthur’s face. It grows taut and lengthens through Merlin’s meticulous weaving. 

“I’m sure the king will be quite pleased to learn of your ingenious plan to humiliate Leon, sire. Do you think he’ll crown you at once?” 

Arthur rolls his eyes at the blatant mockery and squeezes the smaller man’s thighs, eliciting a sharp inhale from above. Merlin is right, of course. His father would disapprove of this improper display. He can picture the old man’s face turning beet red beneath his crown and his mighty vocal objection echoing throughout the chambers. The image itself makes this entire idea oddly more enticing. 

Though, Arthur will die before he lets on of his manservant’s accurate observation. 

“I don’t expect you to understand, Merlin. Pranking is a valued tradition among knights. Leon will be honored to be the subject of such a lark, and on his birthday no less.” 

Merlin goes suspiciously quiet, a leg shifting here and there. Then the bucket is sat atop the prince’s head with a gentle clunk. It wavers with Merlin’s ministrations, sometimes blocking Arthur’s vision completely and certainly mussing his manicured hair. 

“Merlin…” It’s said with stifled amusement, but still holds the edge of a threat. 

“It’s not as if I have a table to work upon, is it?” After several minutes of his body being used as a workbench, the bucket is removed. Immediately, Merlin’s hand is back in Arthur’s hair and he swears he hears a restrained chuckle come from the young servant. The sound nearly makes him burst with frustration. 

“So glad you’re enjoying yourself, Merlin. I assume that means you’ve finished?” 

“Not quite.” Long fingers dig into Arthur’s scalp in a less than graceful attempt at maintaining balance. Surprising strong thighs clench around his neck, causing a rather uncomfortable tightening in Arthur’s trousers. “Maybe with another step to the right, though...”

“You just said left, you idiot!” Merlin shifts and places more weight upon the prince’s shoulders, truly getting on his final nerve. “Enough of this nonsense! You must be able to reach it from here with your feminine fingers.” 

“At least my fingers aren’t too fat to fit through the holes.” 

Arthur scoffs, holding back a smile and digging said fingers further into those restless legs. Merlin releases an aggravated groan.

“It’s not fat, Merlin, it’s muscle. Put there with combat and training the likes of which you’ll never amount to.” 

“Is that why I had to loosen your belt this morning…all of that muscle.” 

Merlin shifts again, the crotch of his pants now pushing intimately against the back of the prince’s neck. It’s a heat source in itself and Arthur can feel his skin warming and sweating beneath in a dangerously pleasant way. 

“Shut up, Merlin, and finish up, would you? I’m about done being your work horse!” 

Merlin definitely laughs this time, shaking his entire frame and threatening Arthur’s own physical resolve. He questions why he ever thought this was a good idea- Merlin on his shoulders, Merlin making those little huffing noises while he works, Merlin’s fingers pulling on Arthur’s hair again with just the right amount of force. 

“As opposed to me being your workhorse for the last year? It’s my turn in saddle, if you ask me.” 

“No one is asking you, Merlin. You are _my_ manservant.” Merlin is reaching up with both arms now, looping string together and crossing his legs around Arthur’s chest to keep upright during the delicate procedure. “You know suffocating a prince is a crime. I could put you in the stocks indefinitely.”

The thighs clench harder. He can practically feel Merlin’s teasing smile. It all goes straight to his fluttering gut and then down further.

“Right, and then who’d steal the flour for your next scheme? I’d hardly be able to sleuth about the kitchen all bent over and covered in various juices.” 

That’s about all Arthur, and his trousers, can take. 

Then the door bursts open. This is enough to startle Merlin, who completely loses his grip on the bucket, and Arthur, who wavers under the suddenly unstable weight of his manservant. They both come tumbling down, snapping the delicate string and taking the changing screen with them. Arthur hits the floor with force and then a body lands atop his torso, forcing the air out of his lungs momentarily. When he breathes again it is not air, but musty flour that enters his throat. He coughs it out and opens his eyes to see Merlin lying face-down upon his chest and a thick white coating covering both of their limp bodies. 

Leon stands in the doorway, his eyebrows nearly shooting up and off his face in question. Three other knights surround him within the cloud of flour, their mouths hanging open in various degrees of confusion. Merlin stirs, lifts his flour-dusted face from Arthur’s chest, and smiles that annoying and gods-help-Arthur adorable grin. He waves childishly. 

“Happy birthday Leon!”

The knights sputter into a fit of laughter, some of them falling onto the floor. Leon crumples with them, leaning against the doorway for support. Arthur turns to his manservant and lightly bops him on the head, sending a cloud of white into the little space between their bodies. 

“You idiot.” 

Merlin gives a sideways grin, and Arthur does his best to hide his own satisfied smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the lovely boys within. 
> 
> Author's Note: This was originally intended to be more PG, but the guys just couldn't help themselves. What is it with these two and their flirty eyes? Anyway, it's my birthday (and also Sir Leon's, I've decided!) so please review! They always make my day. :)


End file.
